Rating the Chelsea Players in 1-0 FA Cup Win over Manchester United

The second match of Chelsea's six games in 16 days was one that they didn't need to play. After a rousing comeback to draw 2-2 at Old Trafford, a replay at Stamford Bridge was necessary to decide who would face Manchester City in the FA Cup semifinal.

Rafa Benitez selected a much stronger side to face Manchester United than against Southampton as he bids to add another trophy to his CV before he leaves Chelsea.

Ashley Cole left the pitch after 20 minutes, having pulled up with a hamstring injury and was replaced by Ryan Bertrand. Whilst this could have signalled an increase in the tempo of the game, United failed to capitalise on the substitution, and the score was still 0-0 at halftime.

Chelsea had more purpose about them after the break, as they surged forward in numbers with Juan Mata in particular upping his contribution. It was his ball over the top of the United defence that found Demba Ba for the only goal of the game, although the striker still had plenty to do to reach the ball and guide it into the top corner.

United brought Robin Van Persie on in search of the equaliser, but the momentum remained with Chelsea. The FA Cup holders went on to secure a semifinal against Manchester City at Wembley, meaning they will need to rearrange their crucial top-four decider with Tottenham Hotspur.

The following are the ratings for Chelsea's starting 11 plus one substitute. Every player starts on 5/10, and points are awarded or deducted based on attitude, work-rate and contribution to the game. A goal scored by a defender is weighted higher than one scored by a striker, and red cards and missed penalties get an automatic one-point deduction. Statistics are taken from whoscored.com

Petr Cech

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8/10

Cech was in control of his area throughout the game and made two spectacular saves to keep a clean sheet.

His improvised stop from a Javier Hernandez shot in the first half was only beaten by his second half effort, which saw him tip the Mexican striker's header over the bar. Even Chicarito was impressed with that save as he congratulated the 'keeper, who only had three shots on target to deal with.

Branislav Ivanovic

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7/10

Ivanovic's form has been incredibly inconsistent as he attempts to adjust to playing regularly in a central role.

This match went far better for him than the shambolic defensive display against Southampton, although his passing accuracy was a woeful 67 percent. He made two tackles and provided an intimidating presence in the back line.

Ashley Cole

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5/10

Cole started the game having been rested for the trip to Southampton and was cutting inside from the left after only five minutes.

Twenty minutes into the game, he pulled up whilst chasing Antonio Valencia down the wing, and it appeared that he had tweaked his hamstring, which is of course the technical medical term for the injury. Ryan Bertrand replaced him as he went to receive immediate treatment.

Ryan Bertrand

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7/10

After an unexpected first half introduction to the match, Bertrand settled in well on the left. He made three tackles and two effective clearances, as well as two key passes that added to his overall accuracy of 78 percent.

Whilst another season under the tutelage of Ashley Cole is vital to his continuing development, his performance in this match showed that he is well on the way to establishing himself as a solid left-back.

John Obi Mikel

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7.5/10

Mikel has been underrated by Chelsea fans for a long time.

His decision making and discipline have been poor in the past, but he has matured into a very good defensive midfielder. Despite this, he is still appalling when presented with a shooting chance as he was four times in this match.

He will never be a goalscorer, as his strengths lie elsewhere, demonstrated by his 90 percent passing accuracy. This was a good, solid game from Mikel when his strong presence was needed.

Demba Ba

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8/10

Ba started after missing the Southampton game and put in a far better performance than any of Fernando Torres' recent "efforts."

Three of his four shots were on target, and he showed that, despite the prolific talents of the Three Amigos, a striker is still necessary at Stamford Bridge. While Mazacar move back as a pack, Ba is the perfect player to stay forward and pressure the defence.

His goal was very well taken, as he was at full stretch whilst falling to make the contact that guided it in. A passing accuracy of 83 percent capped a performance that saw him named as Man of the Match as the FA Cup holders go marching on to the semifinals.